This invention is directed to either an electromechanical or video slot machine game more particularly for blind and/or visually impaired persons.
Heretofore slot machines and other game machines have been made for persons who could see the operation of the machine. Thus, the operator could see the reels rotate and could see if a pay-out has been indicated by the rest position of the reels.
It is therefore an object to make a slot machine which can be enjoyed by blind or visually impaired persons so that such persons can enjoy the excitement of a slot machine operation and pay-out of a winning play.
Another object is to provide braille pads for each rotatable reel in which each pad is provided with vertically movable pins which can be felt with ones fingers so that as the reel rotates the operator can sense the characters represented on the reels by the pin arrangement in the pads. Further, the visually impaired operator can feel the pads to sense the characters shown on the reels viewed visually by other persons during rotating of the reels and at a rest position of the reels.
Still another object is to provide a braille pad which will indicate the number of coins for any winnings by operation of the machine.
In carrying out the invention, a regular made slot machine is converted so that the electromechanical or video slot machine game will interact with refreshing braille pins coinciding with the symbols per reels of the slot machine. Symbols displayed on the pay line will be updated to the braille pins on the slot machine. A cluster of at least nine (9) individual refreshing braille pins will form a braille pad. The refreshing braille pins will move independently of each other in a vertical motion direction and lock in the up position by an electromagnet or any other means for locking the braille pins in an opposition to form the symbols displayed on the pay line of the slot machine in a specified graphic braille. There will be one (1) braille pad for each reel of the slot machine. There will be at least three (3) braille pads for each slot machine having at least three reels. When the reels spin in the slot machine, the pins on the braille pad, for each reel, will vertically move so the symbol moving across the pay line of each reel for each braille pin pad will be sensed and introduce the feeling of the rotation of the reels in motion. The reels of the slot machines will stop independently of each other and the symbols displayed on the pay line will be graphically formed on the individual braille pin pad of the respective reel. If the specified win combination occurs, the slot machine will vibrate slightly or in some other manner indicate a win. All wins will be credited to the slot machine for the benefit of the visually impaired person. This will also deter any theft from any other individuals. When the play is finished, the player will then press a pay-out button to retrieve all coins from the machine and all pins of each braille pad will return to a rest position which does not correspond to any type of character.